Florida 2022 Regular Session

Florida House Bill H0657 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

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10	10	F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
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14	14	A bill to be entitled 1
15	15	An act relating to the Medical Education Reimbursement 2
16	16	and Loan Repayment Program; amending s. 1009.65, F.S.; 3
17	17	revising the purpose of the program; expanding 4
18	18	eligibility criteria for the program to include 5
19	19	certain practice areas; providing an effective date. 6
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21	21	Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 8
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23	23	Section 1. Subsection (1) of section 1009.65, Florida 10
24	24	Statutes, is amended to read: 11
25	25	1009.65 Medical Education Reimbursement and Loan Repayment 12
26	26	Program.— 13
27	27	(1) To encourage qualified medical professionals to 14
28	28	practice in underserved locations where there are shortages of 15
29	29	such personnel and to provide primary care to racial and ethnic 16
30	30	minority populations that experience health disparities due to 17
31	31	limited access to quality health care , there is established the 18
32	32	Medical Education Reimbursement and Loan Repayment Program. The 19
33	33	function of the program is to make payments that offset loans 20
34	34	and educational expenses incurred by students for studies 21
35	35	leading to a medical or nursing degree, medical or nursing 22
36	36	licensure, or advanced practice registered nurse licensure or 23
37	37	physician assistant licensure. The following licensed or 24
38	38	certified health care professi onals are eligible to participate 25
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47	47	F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
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51	51	in this program: 26
52	52	(a) Medical doctors with primary care specialties, doctors 27
53	53	of osteopathic medicine with primary care specialties, physician 28
54	54	assistants, licensed practical nurses and registered nurses, and 29
55	55	advanced practice registered nurses with primary care 30
56	56	specialties such as certified nurse midwives. Primary care 31
57	57	medical specialties for physicians include obstetrics, 32
58	58	gynecology, general and family practice, internal medicine, 33
59	59	pediatrics, and other specialties which ma y be identified by the 34
60	60	Department of Health. From the funds available, the Department 35
61	61	of Health shall make payments as follows: 36
62	62	1. Up to $4,000 per year for licensed practical nurses and 37
63	63	registered nurses, up to $10,000 per year for advanced practice 38
64	64	registered nurses and physician assistants, and up to $20,000 39
65	65	per year for physicians. Penalties for noncompliance shall be 40
66	66	the same as those in the National Health Services Corps Loan 41
67	67	Repayment Program. Educational expenses include costs for 42
68	68	tuition, matriculation, registration, books, laboratory and 43
69	69	other fees, other educational costs, and reasonable living 44
70	70	expenses as determined by the Department of Health. 45
71	71	2. All payments are contingent on continued proof of 46
72	72	primary care practice in an area defined in s. 395.602(2)(b), or 47
73	73	an underserved area designated by the Department of Health or 48
74	74	continued proof of serving racial or ethnic minority 49
75	75	populations, provided the practitioner accepts Medicaid 50
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84	84	F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
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88	88	reimbursement if eligible for such reimbursement. Correctional 51
89	89	facilities, state hospitals, and other state institutions that 52
90	90	employ medical personnel shall be designated by the Department 53
91	91	of Health as underserved locations. Locations with high 54
92	92	incidences of infant mortality, high morbidity, or low Medicaid 55
93	93	participation by health care professionals may be designated as 56
94	94	underserved. To receive payments under the program for serving 57
95	95	racial and ethnic minority populations, the practitioner must 58
96	96	provide proof that at least 50 percent of his or her primary 59
97	97	care patient population consists of racial or ethnic minorities 60
98	98	in this state. 61
99	99	(b) Advanced practice registered nurses registered to 62
100	100	engage in autonomous practice under s. 464.0123 and practicing 63
101	101	in the primary care specialties of family medicine, general 64
102	102	pediatrics, general internal medicine, or midwifery. From the 65
103	103	funds available, the Department of Health shall make payments of 66
104	104	up to $15,000 per year to advanced practice registered nurses 67
105	105	registered under s. 464.0123 who demonstrate, as required by 68
106	106	department rule, active employment providing primary care 69
107	107	services to racial or ethnic minority populations or in a public 70
108	108	health program, an independent practice, or a group practice 71
109	109	that serves Medicaid recipients and other low -income patients 72
110	110	and that is located in a primary care health professional 73
111	111	shortage area. Only loans to pay the costs of tuition, books, 74
112	112	medical equipment and supplies, uniforms, and living expenses 75
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121	121	F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
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125	125	may be covered. To receive payments under the program for 76
126	126	serving racial and ethnic minority populations, t he advanced 77
127	127	practice registered nurse must provide proof that at least 50 78
128	128	percent of his or her primary care patient population consists 79
129	129	of racial or ethnic minorities in this state. For the purposes 80
130	130	of this paragraph: 81
131	131	1. "Primary care health professiona l shortage area" means 82
132	132	a geographic area, an area having a special population, or a 83
133	133	facility with a score of at least 18, as designated and 84
134	134	calculated by the Federal Health Resources and Services 85
135	135	Administration or a rural area as defined by the Federal Off ice 86
136	136	of Rural Health Policy. 87
137	137	2. "Public health program" means a county health 88
138	138	department, the Children's Medical Services program, a federally 89
139	139	funded community health center, a federally funded migrant 90
140	140	health center, or any other publicly funded or nonpro fit health 91
141	141	care program designated by the department. 92
142	142	Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2022. 93